Review: Pike Creek Canadian Whisky

Newly acquired from Corby Distilleries — a growing Canadian whisky producer whose products continue to be difficult to find in the U.S. — by Pernod Ricard, Pike Creek is the brainchild of one Don Livermore, who has a Ph.D. in — wait for it — wood science.

That science has clearly taught Livermore a thing or two about making good whisky, and with Pike Creek he has made the exceptional decision of aging his spirit in Vintage Port barrels. This is a trick we’ve seen repeatedly (and wonderfully) with Bourbon and Scotch, but it’s a new one for Canadian.

Matured for an unspecified time in Ontario, Canada, the whisky is bottled at 80 proof. And now it is finally going to be available in the U.S.

Results: Exceptional. The nose is immediately sweet, with caramel notes but also cooked apples and some spice. On the tongue, it’s racier than you think, the rye backbone (common to most Canadian whiskys) giving the sweet body a little heft. Graham crackers, milk chocolate, and golden raisins fill out the finish, along with just enough heat to make things interesting. Let it open up in the glass for long enough and you get lots of citrus oil notes, too. This is a complex spirit that I could sip on all day. Well done.

2 Responses

EdocApril 10, 2014 / 1:47 pm

Tastes like a good aged rum!

ToddAugust 22, 2014 / 11:42 am

All I could think of was pumpkin pie, so I agree that it is very much like an aged rum. This is a fantastic whisky and the A grade is well deserved. I was really satisfied with the pleasant burn of this whisky, since I find a lot of them to be overpowering. I imagine that I will be drinking a lot this during hockey season.